Lines Drawn

The next morning, I walked into the police station, the thick fog from the early hours still clinging to the streets outside, swallowing up the world in a gray, misty haze. The fog had a way of making everything feel distant, almost unreal, as if I were moving through a dream.

As I stepped into the station, the warmth of the internal heating system immediately greeted me, melting the coldness from my skin and face. The shift from the harsh cold to the soothing warmth was comforting, and for a moment, I allowed myself to relax. But only for a moment.

"Hello, Ma'am," Captain Sophie greeted me, her voice as pleasant and welcoming as always. She gave me a soft smile, a small gesture of kindness that was becoming rare in this cold, tense place.

"Hello, Captain," I replied, returning the smile. But before I could turn and head toward my office, something caught my eye. I spotted Officer Jeffery Brown standing in the hallway, deep in conversation with Captain Steve Garcia. His posture was rigid, and the expression on his face was serious, almost like he was trying to project some sort of authority—something that felt forced.

Yesterday, I’d planned to speak with Jeffery about his actions regarding the case. The way he had deliberately withheld information about the murder from me made me suspicious. I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t kept in the loop, especially when it was something that could potentially be linked to my case. It wasn’t just a small oversight. There was something personal in his refusal, a petty jealousy or a need to assert his dominance that I couldn’t ignore. But yesterday, I hadn’t gotten the chance to confront him. Now, though, I wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by.

"Hello, Officer," I greeted, walking up to Jeffery and standing right in front of him. He didn’t seem startled, but there was a slight shift in his demeanor. He glanced at me briefly, his eyes narrowing as he recognized my presence.

"Hello, Detective," he replied, his voice flat, as though he was trying to mask some underlying tension.

I didn’t waste any time. "I wanted to ask you why no one informed me yesterday when the case of the murdered girl was reported," I said, my tone calm but direct. I wasn’t about to let him brush this off again.

Jeffery’s eyes shifted, and he opened his mouth to speak, his voice defensive. "You came here to solve the case of missing people in Alaska... And the murder case in Seward doesn’t fall under your authority. That's why I didn’t inform you about it."

I felt a sharp, almost biting irritation rise in my chest, but I forced myself to remain composed. "As long as I'm in this office, every report filed here falls under my authority. I alone will decide which reports are linked to my case and which aren’t," I said, emphasizing each word. His reasoning didn’t matter. He couldn’t just decide what information I should have access to and what I shouldn’t.

He scoffed, and his tone became more confrontational. "I am in charge of this office, and I alone will decide which information should be passed to you and which shouldn’t concern you."

The arrogance in his voice made my blood simmer. He had been running this office for years, but that didn’t mean he could ignore protocol or dismiss my authority. The fact that he thought he could control what information was passed on didn’t sit well with me at all. I could feel the tension building between us, but I wasn’t going to back down. Not this time.

"Officer Jeffery, my goal here is to solve the case, not to sow division or discord within this office," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but there was a firmness to it. "It’s in everyone’s best interest for you to let me proceed with my work unhindered. When the murder report came in yesterday, it was your professional duty to inform me. But instead of upholding professional ethics, you instructed the staff to keep the information from me. That’s not acceptable."

Jeffery’s face reddened slightly, and his nostrils flared as he shot back, "Don’t try to school me about my duties. I’ve been handling this office and all of Seward for a long time. You, an outsider, know nothing about how things work here."

His words hit me like a slap, but I refused to let him see how much they stung.

"I’m not going to waste my time on such a useless argument," I said, my tone now sharp and pointed. "But one thing you should keep in mind: I have to report directly to higher officials, and you shouldn’t give me a reason to report something unprofessional about you."

I stared him down, letting my words sink in. The last thing I wanted was to escalate this situation further, but I wasn’t going to let his petty power games undermine the work we had to do here. If he wanted to play these games, I would make sure there were consequences.

I turned to face the rest of the staff, who were no doubt listening closely to the exchange.

"From now on, the details of every reported case should be provided to me as soon as possible. If I find out that anyone tries to withhold information from me in the future, I will report it directly to the higher officials."

The entire room fell silent. I could see the tension hanging in the air like a heavy cloud, but I didn’t care. Jeffery’s unwillingness to cooperate had to be addressed, and if it meant asserting my authority in front of everyone, so be it.

Jeffery was still glaring at me, clearly unwilling to accept the fact that higher-ups didn’t trust him and had sent me in to handle this case. His pride had been wounded, and I could see the frustration building in him. He hadn’t paid serious attention to the case before I arrived, but now that I was here, things had to change.

I took a step closer to him, locking eyes with him.

"More than 100 people, mostly teenage girls, have gone missing," I said, my voice cold and unwavering.

"Yet here we are, wasting time, fighting over petty matters. Officer Jeffery Brown, we are professionals, and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be consumed by such trivial arguments."

I watched him for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction. He didn’t respond, instead turning toward Captain Steve, who had been quietly observing the exchange. I could tell Steve wasn’t happy about the situation either, but he hadn’t stepped in to stop it.

"Stubborn blockhead," I muttered under my breath as I turned and walked away from the scene.

I entered my office and sank into my chair, letting out a long, deep breath.

"This man is not going to understand anything," I murmured to myself, massaging my temples as I tried to shake off the frustration. I had more important things to focus on, but Jeffery’s behavior was distracting me, and I knew it would only get worse if I didn’t address it now.

I picked up the receiver of the landline, dialing a number I knew by heart. After a few rings, someone picked up, and a heavy, familiar voice greeted me, "Philip Underwood here."